Reciprocating manicure device

ABSTRACT

A manicure device is provided which imparts reciprocating motion to a removable manicure tool. An electric motor drives a pinion gear which in turn drives a ring gear which has an integral eccentric. A tool holder is moved in a reciprocating motion by the eccentric and at its end receives the manicure tool. The tool holder is guided in its reciprocating motion by means of roller bearings which ride on the inner surfaces of a hollow enclosure. A handle containing the motor and the tool holder is stored in the upper portion of a plastic case along with the manicure tools, and the line cord is stored in a recessed enclosure that is accessible from the bottom of the case.

United States Patent 1 Waters et al.

[ 1March 13, 1973 RECIPROCATING MANKCURE DEVICE Robert S. Waters, Oak Brook; Albert R. Spohr, Park Ridge, both of ill.

Assignee: Sunbeam Corporation, Chicago, 111.

Filed: Jan. 11, 1971 Appl. No.: 105,581

Inventors:

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Smithson ..310/47 Chamber ..3 10/50 ABSTRACT A manicure device is provided which imparts reciprocating motion to a removable manicure tool, An electric motor drives a pinion gear which in turn drives a ring gear which has an integral eccentric. A tool holder is moved in a reciprocating motion by the eccentric and at its end receives the manicure tool. The tool holder is guided in its reciprocating motion by means of roller bearings which ride on the inner surfaces of a hollow enclosure. A handle containing the motor and the tool holder is stored in the upper portion of a plastic case along with the manicure tools, and the line cord is stored in a recessed enclosure that is accessible from the bottom of the case.

5 Claims, llDrawing Figures .PATENTEDMAR 1 s 1925 3. 720.851

saw NF 4 PAIENTEDMAR 13 I975 SHEET 2 OF 4 PATENIEUMARlB 197a 3.720.851

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RECIPROCATING MANICURE DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Reciprocating manicure devices are known in which an electric motor, a carrier for the manicure tool and a rotary-to-reciprocating motion converting mechanism are all housed within an elongated handle. An example of such a manicure device is shown in French Pat. No. l,5ll,653, issued in the name of M. Chapatte. The Chapatte patent discloses the employment of ball bearings to provide for a low friction bearing surface for the reciprocating carrier. The use of ball bearings in a manicure device in'this manner has a number of disadvantages. First of all, it is desirable that the manicure assembly be housed in a compact, easy-to-grasp handle. Due to the small size of the handle, it is necessary that the component parts of the manicure device he assemblable in a convenient manner. Ball bearings of the size required insuch a manicure device are very difficult to handle and to contain within their proper races. In addition, the races for ball bearings are difficult to fabricate in comparison with the races for roller bearings or needle bearings of a comparable size.

Furthermore, ball bearings subject the carrier to a greater torque when the device is being operated and is under load, and a single pair of needle bearings of the appropriate size are less expensive than a greater number of ball bearings. In order to reduce the cost of a compact manicure device and to maintain a pleasing appearance, which is very essential in order to be able to successfully market such a device, it is desirable to construct the carrier of plastic. Deformation of the plastic due to an excess load is considerably less likely to occur when a needle bearing or roller bearing is employed rather than a ball bearing since the load will not be concentrated at a single point but is instead spread across the entire contact surface of the bearing. The manicure tool is also held into place in a manner which is believed to be more reliable than the detent provisions of the Chapatte patent.

In accordance with the desirability of providing for easy assembly and for an inexpensive structure, it is desirable to minimize the number of retaining devices such as screws, rivets, tabs and etc. which are employed to secure the parts of the manicure into their proper locations. In the split housing configuration of the manicure device described herein, a single retaining element, a screw in the disclosed embodiment, is employed. The handle of the manicure device is so designed that this screw serves to hold the split sections of the handle together, and it is not employed to locate or secure any of the internal parts of the handle in position. In the manicure device of the present invention, even this single screw may be eliminated, and the two sections of the handle may be snap-fit into place by means of projecting tabs on one portion and receiving tabs on the other portion of the plastic handle if desired.

While the handle of the manicure and the extendable looped cord which is attached to the handle may be conveniently located in a recess in the carrying case, the storage of the line cord should also be accomplished in a manner which is not inconvenient to the user and which will not increase the size of the carrying case. To achieve this end, the line cord in the present manicure device is stored in a recess which is accessible from the bottom of the carrying case. This feature minimizes the size of the carrying case and does not present the unsightly appearance which would occur if the line cord projected from one of the side walls or the top of the carrying case.

It is an object, therefore, of the present invention to provide roller bearings for a tool carrier which is enclosed in a handle wherein said roller bearings are aligned with their longitudinal axis perpendicular to the axis of reciprocation and are each contained in a race that is formed with the tool carrier.

It is another object of the present invention to provide roller bearings for a tool carrier wherein at least one roller bearing is inserted into a race formed with one surface of the tool carrier and a second roller hearing is inserted into a race formed with another surface of the tool carrier so that the axes of the two roller bearings are parallel, and a hollow housing encloses the tool carrier in such a manner that inner surfaces of the housing contact both of the roller bearings.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a handle for a motor-operated device which drives a tool carrier wherein the motor and the tool carrier are supported in their proper position within the handle, and preferably wherein roller bearings are provided for the tool carrier, without the employment of any type of securing means which requires a tool to effect disassembly of said parts when said handle is opened.

It is another object of the present invention to provide for the convenient storage of the electrical cords and the power handle of a manicure device having a carrying case in which the tool carrier for the manicure device is housed in a handle which is connected to an extendable cord that passes through an opening in a power handle storage cavity in an upper surface of the carrying case while the line cord may be stored in a recess formed in the bottom of the carrying case.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS I The present invention may be better understood by reference to the following drawings and description in which:

FIG. I is a top perspective view of the manicure device;

FIG. 2 is a partial sectionalized top view of the manicure device with the power handle in its storage cavity;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the carrying case along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the upper portion of the carrying case with the bottom cover removed;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the carrying case taken along line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a top sectional view of the power handle along the line 6-6 of FIG. ll;

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of the power handle along the line 77 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the power handle along the line 88 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a top sectional view of the tool holding portion of the power handle along line 99 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a side sectional view of the tool holding portion of the power handle; and

FIG. 11 is a partial front sectional view taken along the line lll-ll of FIG. 6 showing the front motor support posts of the power handle.

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a manicure set which consists of a carrying case designated generally by the reference numeral 11 and a power handle designated generally by the reference numeral 12. The carrying case 11 has a number of storage recesses 27 and l6a-2la in the upper surface 13 of the base 14 of the carrying case 11. The recesses 27 and 16a-2l are exposed when the cover 15 is opened, and they are employed to provide convenient storage space for the power handle 12 and for the various manicure implements 1621 which may be removably stored in the carrying case 11.

The manicure implements 16-21 enable the operator to perform different manicuring functions. A cuticle brush 16, which is suitable for quickly removing cuticle residue, is positioned in the surface 13 of the top section 29 of the base 14 in a storage recess 16a which is slightly larger than the cuticle brush l6 and conforms in shape to the shape of the brush 16. A nail buffer 17 is also positioned in a storage recess 17a which has a shape that conforms to that of the buffer 17. The buffer 17 may be used to give a high gloss professional-looking finish to the nails of the user. A cuticle pusher 18 is stored in a storage recess 18a of a conforming shape in the surface 13. A number of emery boards 19 are stored in an elongated rectangular storage recess 19a which is located toward the forward portion of the surface 13 in a manner such that the emery boards are stacked on their ends. The emery boards 19 are insertable into the power handle 12 when the adapter 21, which is best shown in FIG. 10, is positioned over an end of an emery board such that the legs 23 and 24 are positioned in a parallel relationship along a portion of the upper and the lower surfaces of the emery board, respectively. The head 25 of the adapter 21 is then inserted into an opening 26 in the forward end of the handle 12. For storage purposes, a recess 21a is provided in surface 13 for the adaptor 21. A nail file is also provided, which is stored edgewise in the longitudinal storage recess 20a as shown in FIG. 1, and is usable with the adapter 21.

An on-off switch 28 is provided in the surface 13 for controlling the application of power to the manicure unit. The on and the of designations on the on-off switch 28 are located on plane surfaces 28a and 28b which form acute angles with each other. This makes the recognition of the switch position easier for the user since, when the switch is in the off position, the surface 28b which is designated on will project upwardly from the upper surface 13 at an acute angle, while the plane 28a with the off" would be coplanar with the surface 13. In a similar manner, when the power unit is on, the surface 28b which is designated on will be coplanar with the surface 13 while the surface 28a which carries the designation of will be at an acute angle with respect to the surface 13.

The case 11 is made of a plastic, such as polystyrene, and it is constructed of three main sections. The base 14 is formed of a top section 29 and a bottom section 30. The bottom section 30 has integrally molded feet 31 which project therefrom to support the manicure device. The bottom base section 30 also is provided with an opening 22 which provides access to a cord storage chamber 22a for storage of the line cord 23.

The top section 29 of the base 14 has an opening 32 that is formed at the front surface 33 which is inclined downwardly at approximately a 45 angle with respect to the upper surface 13. The bottom base section 30 supports a locking latch 35 which has a locking projection 36 that extends through openings 32 in the front surface 33. When the locking projection 36 extends through the opening 32, the top section 29 and the bottom section 30 are firmly secured to one another. In addition, the locking projection 36 extends outwardly so that it may be inserted into the notch 37 which is formed on the cover 15 when the cover is closed. The locking member 35 has an elongated latch bar 38 which extends for a substantial portion along the distance of the front surface 33. The latch bar 38 is supported at its ends by the brace 40 which is integrally formed with and extends upwardly from the bottom section 30.

Notches 39 and 41 of a general rectangular shape are formed in the ends of the brace 40, and the latch bar 38 is retained in these slots. Two L-shaped ribs 42 and 43 are provided which have portions 42a and 42b that extend upwardly from the bottom section 30 to approximately the bottom of the slots 39 and 41. The rib portions 42b and 43b extend upwardly along the inside front side 44 of the bottom base section 30, and they have rounded ends 47 and 48 which project inwardly beyond the edges 45 and 46 of the slots 39 and 41, respectively. The bar 38 is formed of a resilient plastic material such as nylon, and it is slightly bent in the inward direction. Therefore, a slight pressure on the release button 50, which extends through the opening 51 in the upwardly extending front side 44 of the bottom section 30, will move the projection 36 out of the notch 37 so that the cover 15 may then be lifted. If it is desired to disassemble the top section 29 and the bottom section 30 of the base 14, the release button 50 must be pressed with a considerably greater force so that the projection 36 will pass into the interior of the base 14 past the inner surface of the opening 32 thereby allowing for removal of the top section 29 from the bottom section 30. The latch bar 38 has two projecting bosses 55 and 56 which extend forwardly and downwardly along the width of the bar 38. The bosses 55 and 56 abut the brace 40 in the vicinity of the slots 39 and 41, respectively, so as to limit the lateral movement of the bar 38. The movement of the locking member 35 is limited in the vertical direction by the portions of the surface 33 that surround the hole 51 through which the release button 50 passes. When the latch bar 38 assumes the dotted line position shown in FIG. 2, the release button 50 is free of the hole 51, and the top section 29 may be released from engagement with the bottom section 30.

The power handle 12, which is preferably formed of plastic, is coupled to the power supply which is housed in the carrying case 11, and it is supplied power through the extendable looped cord 57. The power supply transformer 58 which is housed in the carrying case 11 steps down the line voltage to voltage which is usable by the motor in the power handle 12. The extendable cord 57 passes through an aperture 94 in the power handle storage cavity 27 in the top base section 29 into the interior of the base 14 for connection to the power transformer.

The cover has a surface 62 which extends in a generally parallel direction with respect to the surface 13 and a second surface 63 which forms an acute angle with the surface 62 and which extends generally parallel to the surface 60. The case 11 is of necessity wider between the surface and the surface 63 than it is between the surface 13 and the surface 62 due to the dimensions of the power handle 12. The extendable cord 57 is stored in the storage recess 27a in the bottom of the cavity 21 when the cover 15 is closed. The power handle 12 is suspended above the power cord 57 when it is in its storage position, and it rests on the support areas 64 and 65 which are shaped to substantially conform to the surface of the power handle 12 and to form an acute angle with the upwardly extending walls 66 and 67 of the cavity 27, respectively. The partitions 69 and 70 may be used for directing the placement of internal wires in the base 14, in the manner shown in H6. 4, and the line cord 23 may also be tied around the post 68 if desired.

The cover 15 is secured to the top base section 29 and the bottom section 30 by means of a hinge pin 71 which extends through openings 72 and 73 on the spaced-apart wings 74 and 75 that are formed integrally with the cover 15. The wings 74 and 75 extend through slots 74a, 75a in the upper base section 29. As the cover 15 pivots about the pin 71, the wings 74, 75 are movable into and out of the slots 74a, 75a thereby providing for relative movement of the cover 15 and the top section 29. The endsof the pin 71 extend beyond the slots 74a and 75a and abut against the ledges 78 and 77, respectively. The pin 71 also fits into the grooved U-shaped pin holders 78 and 79 that are formed in the bottom base section 30. When the top base section 29 and the bottom base section 39 are secured together, by means of fastening screws such as the screw 61 which is screwed into the screw post 81 in the top base section 29, the hinge pin 71 is positioned in the pin holders 78, 79.

A step-down transformer 58 for powering the power handle is positioned in a metal transformer bracket 81) which has upwardly extending sides 31 that surround the transformer 58 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The

power switch 28 is secured to two screw posts (not shown) which project downwardly from the top base section 29. The screws 82 and 83 are secured into the screw posts, and they clamp against the arms 84 and 35 of the bracket 80. The screw 86 secures the rear end of the bracket as it is screwed into the screw post 87 which extends downwardly at an angle from the inclined surface 88 of the cover 15. The on-off button 89 on the on-off switch 28 consists of a pair of downwardly projecting tongs 91 which embrace the ends of the conventional on-off switch button 28c. Two support arms 92 and 93 extend upwardly from the switch unit 28 to receive the projecting pins 95a and 95 through apertures in the arms 92 and 93 to provide support for the switch button 89. The switch button 89 may be rocked back and forth to switch the manicure on or off wherein the on-off switch button 39 is constructed'in the manner previously described.

The extendable cord 57 for the power handle 12 passes through the aperture 94 in the button of the cavity 94a and is connected to the terminals 96 and 97 of the transformer 58 by female slip-on connectors 98 and 99. The transformer 58 is braced into place against the L-shaped bracing members 100 and. 101 which extend downwardly from the top base section 29. The L- shaped bracing members 1112 and 103 that are formed in the top base section 29 also help to hold the trans former 58 in position.

The power handle 12, which is shown in FIG. 1, may be removed from the cavity 27 and may be operated at a position remote from the carrying case 11 because of the extendable power cord 57. The power cord 57 has female clips such as the clip for receiving male connectors such as the connectors l 11 that are electrically coupled to the motor 112. The housing of the motor 112 is constructed of metal, and, therefore, it is preferred that two pieces of insulating tape be secured in place between the connectors 111 and the motor 112. The motor 112 is a conventional rotary electric motor which is powered by the transformer 58 which is located in the housing 11 as shown in FIG. 4.

The power handle 12 is formed of two separate sections 113, 114. The handle section 114 is secured to the handle section 113 by means of the screw 185. The head of the screw 185 is located in the recess 116a of the handle section 113 when the screw 185 is screwed into the threaded boss 116 which extends upwardly from the handle section 114. The annular ring 117 at the other end of the power handle 12 has a tongue 118 which extends inwardly along the middle of the portion 118a of the ring 117 and a tongue 119 which extends inwardly along the middle of the portion 1190 of the ring 117. The tongues 118 and 119 are inserted into grooves formed between a pair of tabs 120 and 121, which extend from the handle section 1 l3 and the handle section 114, respectively. The pair of tabs 120 receive the tongue 118 between their inner surfaces and act to hold the rear edge 122 of the handle section 113 securely against he inner edge 123 of the annular ring 117. in a similar manner, the pair of tabs 119 surround the tongue 121 to hold the handle section 114 into place so that the rear edge 124 of the handle section 114 is secured against the inner edge 125 of the annular ring 117. in addition, the ring is cemented to the handle section 1 13.

The pinion gear 131] which is mounted on the motor shaft of the motor 1 12 drives the drive gear 131a of the ring gear assembly 131. The gear and the entire ring gear assembly 131 are preferably formed of nylon. An eccentric 132 and cylinders 133 and 165 are integrally formed in the ring gear assembly 131. The frame of the motor includes two arms 134 and 135 which project toward the forward or tool receiving end of the power handle 12. The ring gear assembly 131 is mounted on a metal shaft 136 which extends through apertures 137 and 138 in the arms 135 and 134, respectively. The ends of the steel shaft 136 are supported by the braces 140 and 141 which are formed as part of the handle section 113. The bushings 142 and 143 which surround the ends of the axle 136 and which provide for smooth rotation of the axle 136 in the braces 140 and 141 are short sleeves, which are preferably made of plasticized polyvinylchloride. The U-shaped support braces 140 and 141 are closed at their upper ends by inwardly extending semicircular closure members 158 which are formed on the handle section 113 and which enclose the ends of the shaft 136 in place in the braces 140 and 141. The motor 112 is supported in the handle section 113 by the support braces 140 and 141 and by one or more support posts 150, 151, as shown in FIG. 11, which extend upwardly from the handle section 113 to engage the extension 154 of the frame of the motor 112 at the surfaces 152 and 153 and the surface 155, respectively, to prevent lateral movement of the motor 112 when it is positioned in the handle section 113. The rear end of the motor rests on the support post 159 which is integrally formed with the handle section 1 14.

The tool holder 160 is preferably formed of nylon, and it is constructed of two members 161 and 166. The member 161 includes the cam follower 162 which rides on the eccentric cylinder cam 165 of the ring gear assembly 131. A slot 163 is formed through the cam follower 162 to allow passage therethrough of the shaft 136 and to provide for camming action of the surface 165a of the eccentric cam 165 on the surface 164 of the cam follower 162. The rotary motion of the motor which drives the gears 130 and 131 is thereby converted into reciprocating motion of the tool holder 160.

The member 166 of the tool holder 160 is removable from the member 161 to provide for the insertion of the tool holding spring 167 which is shown in FIG. 9. The spring 167 is a ribbon spring which may be constructed of spring steel aNd which has a bowed section 168 and two V-shaped ends 169 and 170. The ends 169 and 170 of the spring 167 are locked between the extending lips 171 and 172 and the tool holder member 161. The resilient spring 167 extends toward the inserted tool and acts to secure the inserted tool in place in the reception chamber 174. The side wall 175 of the reception chamber 174 is a substantially flat surface which engages the other side of the inserted tool holder or tool holder adaptor to help to secure it in place in the reception chamber 174.

The member 161 of the reception chamber 174 also has two walls 177 and 178, and the member 166 has two walls 190 and 191 all of which slope inwardly so as to reduce the friction on an inserted tool in the tool holder 160. A resilient spring tab 179 for holding the tool in the reception chamber 174 is formed near the opening 180 in the wall 181 of the member 166, as shown in FIG. 7, and engages the wide dimension section of the inserted tool. The locking hook 182 on the rear end of the member 166 passes through an opening 183 of the member 161 and locks the members 161 and 166 together. In addition, the forward end of the member 166 has a pair of locking extending hooks 184 at its forward end which extend through a pair of slots 186 in the member 161. The members 161 and 166 are merely snapped together during assembly and are held in locking engagement by the above-described locking hooks.

A tool holder guide 192 is provide for guiding the tool holder 160 as it undergoes its reciprocating motion. The guide 192 is simply a hollow metal structure of a generally rectangular shape which has two outwardly extending legs 193 and 194 on opposite sides of the hollow longitudinal portion of the guide 192. The legs 193 and 194 are inserted into slots which are formed by the two pairs of generally triangular support braces 195 and 196. L-shaped ribs 197, which are integrally formed with the power handle housing section, receive the tool guide 192 for support by engaging the bottom 198 and the sides 199 of the guide 192.

The tool holder 160 passes through the guide chamber 192 with sufficient clearance so that it does not touch the walls of the chamber 192. A pair of integrally formed races 200, 201 are provided on the bottom 205 of the member 166 of the tool holder 160 and on the top 206 of the member 161 of the tool holder 160, respectively. A pair of needle or roller bearings 202 and 204 which may be formed of cold finished steel are respectively inserted into the races 200 and 201. The needle bearing 204 rolls along the inner surface 207 of the chamber 192, while the needle bearing 202 rolls along the inner surface 208 of the chamber 192. The guide chamber 192 is preferably formed of steel, and the surfaces 207 and 208 preferably have a thin plated chrome layer on them.

The term axis of reciprocation of the manicure device in the accompanying claims refers to the line of reciprocating motion of the manicure tool when the device is in operation. The axis of reciprocation in the illustrated embodiment is defined by an imaginary line which bisects the longitudinal axes of the roller bearings 202, 204 and divides the lower section 113 into two equal sections along the longitudinal dimension of the power handle 12. The axis of reciprocation of the illustrated embodiment runs between the support posts and 151 at the front end of the motor 112 such that both posts are spaced substantially an equal distance from the axis of reciprocation, and also through the support post 159 at the rear end of the motor 112.

While there has been illustrated and described a particular embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood that changes and modifications may occur to those skilled in the art, and it is, therefore, contemplated by the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A reciprocating tool driver comprising a housing having a tool-receiving aperture in which a tool may be detachably mounted for reciprocation along an axis, said aperture being in alignment with said axis of reciprpcation of said tool, rotary drive means in said housing having a drive shaft positioned along said axis of reciprocation and a driving gear coupled to said drive shaft, said rotary drive means-having a housing including a pair of spaced-apart arms each of which have a shaft-receiving aperture therein and both of which extend in a direction parallel to said axis of reciprocation on opposite sides of said axis of reciprocation, a shaft that passes through said gear and said shaft-receiving apertures, a driven gear assembly including a driven gear mounted on said shaft and coupled to be driven by said driving gear, a cam eccentrically mounted on said driven gear assembly, a tool-holding means comprising a cam follower surrounding said gear shaft and engaging said cam, said tool-holding means having a first surface and a second surface and being driven in a reciprocating direction along said axis of reciprocation by interaction of said cam and said cam follower, shaft support means on said housing for supporting the ends of said shaft, a hollow guide means having first and second plane guide surfaces which are parallel with respect to said axis of reciprocation, said first and second guide surfaces being adjacent to said first and second surfaces of said tool-holding means, respectively, said guide surfaces being positioned on opposite sides of said axis of reciprocation, at least one roller bearing race formed in said first surface of said toolholding means and at least one roller bearing race formed in said second surface of said tool-holding means, a first roller bearing rolling in said first race in engagement with said first guide surface and a second roller bearing rolling in said second race in engagement with said second guide surface and guide support means for removably mounting said hollow guide means in said housing, said guide support means comprising a pair of outwardly extending arms on opposite sides of said guide means, a pair of support braces integrally formed with said housing for receiving said arms and a plurality of support ribs integrally formed with said housing for supporting said hollow guide means at positions remote from said arms.

2. A tool holder for a reciprocating tool driver comprising a first generally rectangular section including an integrally formed driving shaft for imparting reciprocating motion to said tool holder and a second generally rectangular, section removably securable to said first section to form a tool'holding enclosure, integrally formed books on one of said sections and integrally formed corresponding openings in the other of said sections for receiving said resilient hooks in interlocking engagement and an integrally formed resilient tab on one of said sections which extends into said toolholding enclosure so as to press upon a tool inserted into said tool-holding enclosure in order to secure said tool in said tool holder.

'3. A tool holder as set forth in claim 2 wherein a bowed resilient spring is positioned in the interior of said tool-holding enclosure so as to engage a tool which is inserted into said tool-holding enclosure and which iii has an edge and a wide dimension section so as to secure said tool in said tool-holding enclosure, said spring and said resilient tab of said second section being positioned so that said resilient tab engages the wide dimension section of said tool and said resilient spring engages the edge of said tool.

4. A tool holder as set forth in claim 3 wherein the first and second sections of said tool holder form a toolreceiving aperture when said first and second sections are secured together, wherein said tool-receiving aperture is formed by a pair of V-shaped walls of said first section and a pair of V-shaped walls of said second section which slant so that said tool-receiving aperture is wider at its center than it is at its ends.

5. A reciprocating tool driver comprising a housing having a tool-receiving aperture in alignment with an axis of reciprocation, rotary drive means in said housing having a rotating drive shaft positioned along said axis of reciprocation and a driving gear coupled to said drive shaft, a first support post integrally formed with said housing for supporting the portion of said rotary drive means which is remote from said tool receiving aperture and second and third support posts integrally formed with said housing for supporting the end of said rotary drive means which is closest to said tool-receiving aperture, said first support post being positioned along said axis of reciprocation and said second and third support posts being positioned along a line normal to said axis of reciprocation, motion-convertin means for converting sai 

1. A reciprocating tool driver comprising a housing having a tool-receiving aperture in which a tool may be detachably mounted for reciprocation along an axis, said aperture being in alignment with said axis of reciprocation of said tool, rotary drive means in said housing having a drive shaft positioned along said axis of reciprocation and a driving gear coupled to said drive shaft, said rotary drive means having a housing including a pair of spaced-apart arms each of which have a shaft-receiving aperture therein and both of which extend in a direction parallel to said axis of reciprocation on opposite sides of said axis of reciprocation, a shaft that passes through said gear and said shaft-receiving apertures, a driven gear assemblY including a driven gear mounted on said shaft and coupled to be driven by said driving gear, a cam eccentrically mounted on said driven gear assembly, a tool-holding means comprising a cam follower surrounding said gear shaft and engaging said cam, said toolholding means having a first surface and a second surface and being driven in a reciprocating direction along said axis of reciprocation by interaction of said cam and said cam follower, shaft support means on said housing for supporting the ends of said shaft, a hollow guide means having first and second plane guide surfaces which are parallel with respect to said axis of reciprocation, said first and second guide surfaces being adjacent to said first and second surfaces of said tool-holding means, respectively, said guide surfaces being positioned on opposite sides of said axis of reciprocation, at least one roller bearing race formed in said first surface of said tool-holding means and at least one roller bearing race formed in said second surface of said tool-holding means, a first roller bearing rolling in said first race in engagement with said first guide surface and a second roller bearing rolling in said second race in engagement with said second guide surface and guide support means for removably mounting said hollow guide means in said housing, said guide support means comprising a pair of outwardly extending arms on opposite sides of said guide means, a pair of support braces integrally formed with said housing for receiving said arms and a plurality of support ribs integrally formed with said housing for supporting said hollow guide means at positions remote from said arms.
 1. A reciprocating tool driver comprising a housing having a tool-receiving aperture in which a tool may be detachably mounted for reciprocation along an axis, said aperture being in alignment with said axis of reciprocation of said tool, rotary drive means in said housing having a drive shaft positioned along said axis of reciprocation and a driving gear coupled to said drive shaft, said rotary drive means having a housing including a pair of spaced-apart arms each of which have a shaft-receiving aperture therein and both of which extend in a direction parallel to said axis of reciprocation on opposite sides of said axis of reciprocation, a shaft that passes through said gear and said shaft-receiving apertures, a driven gear assemblY including a driven gear mounted on said shaft and coupled to be driven by said driving gear, a cam eccentrically mounted on said driven gear assembly, a tool-holding means comprising a cam follower surrounding said gear shaft and engaging said cam, said tool-holding means having a first surface and a second surface and being driven in a reciprocating direction along said axis of reciprocation by interaction of said cam and said cam follower, shaft support means on said housing for supporting the ends of said shaft, a hollow guide means having first and second plane guide surfaces which are parallel with respect to said axis of reciprocation, said first and second guide surfaces being adjacent to said first and second surfaces of said tool-holding means, respectively, said guide surfaces being positioned on opposite sides of said axis of reciprocation, at least one roller bearing race formed in said first surface of said tool-holding means and at least one roller bearing race formed in said second surface of said tool-holding means, a first roller bearing rolling in said first race in engagement with said first guide surface and a second roller bearing rolling in said second race in engagement with said second guide surface and guide support means for removably mounting said hollow guide means in said housing, said guide support means comprising a pair of outwardly extending arms on opposite sides of said guide means, a pair of support braces integrally formed with said housing for receiving said arms and a plurality of support ribs integrally formed with said housing for supporting said hollow guide means at positions remote from said arms.
 2. A tool holder for a reciprocating tool driver comprising a first generally rectangular section including an integrally formed driving shaft for imparting reciprocating motion to said tool holder and a second generally rectangular section removably securable to said first section to form a tool-holding enclosure, integrally formed hooks on one of said sections and integrally formed corresponding openings in the other of said sections for receiving said resilient hooks in interlocking engagement and an integrally formed resilient tab on one of said sections which extends into said tool-holding enclosure so as to press upon a tool inserted into said tool-holding enclosure in order to secure said tool in said tool holder.
 3. A tool holder as set forth in claim 2 wherein a bowed resilient spring is positioned in the interior of said tool-holding enclosure so as to engage a tool which is inserted into said tool-holding enclosure and which has an edge and a wide dimension section so as to secure said tool in said tool-holding enclosure, said spring and said resilient tab of said second section being positioned so that said resilient tab engages the wide dimension section of said tool and said resilient spring engages the edge of said tool.
 4. A tool holder as set forth in claim 3 wherein the first and second sections of said tool holder form a tool-receiving aperture when said first and second sections are secured together, wherein said tool-receiving aperture is formed by a pair of V-shaped walls of said first section and a pair of V-shaped walls of said second section which slant so that said tool-receiving aperture is wider at its center than it is at its ends. 